Archive for January, 2017

California now wants independence! This is the most populated state in the U.S.A. and contributes a lot to the Federal budget, which has caused resentment. But would the state be better off as a separate country? And what if the other states became independent – surely this is a recipe for war. Is there any sense in this? Why not have an independent Los Angeles County or even an independent Los Angeles. What about independent homes? – Gardens with ten foot walls with turrets and machine guns, and patrolling dogs and search lights! And don’t forget the sentry to check the passport of the postman and other visitors. There’s an old saying which I believe is still relevant – united we stand, divided we fall. The best way to stem this “infection” is to invest in the poorer regions to make them more productive and not so reliant on other states.

I went alone on this trip and booked into an apartment in a holiday complex. It was a nice spacious flat with two large single beds. After coming back from a bar one night I had a snack and coffee then went to bed and listened to the radio on my headphones. I switched the lights off and it was almost pitch black. I’d pushed the beds together and a lot of my stuff was on the other bed. Little did I know that when I was out or when I was in the kitchen, a cat had climbed through the bathroom window and climbed on the bed and was curled up just two feet away from me! It wasn’t long before I was drifting away. I turned over and my right hand landed on the cat! I pulled away immediately as it felt odd. It didn’t make sense; it felt like a fur hat. I don’t have a fur hat and if I had it wouldn’t be warm! Was it my imagination? I cautiously put my hand back to where it was and felt it. It felt just the same. I sprang up on my hands and shouted “what the hell’s that!” I recognized in the dim light to my relief that it was a cat. Having established what the ‘thing’ was I turned over and tried to get to sleep. But when I was drifting off it started ‘meowing’ and clawing on the blankets! It was probably hungry; this was a wild cat and there are lots of them in Cyprus. I got up and fed it some ham slices and gave it some water then opened the door. It went out and I shut the door – and the bathroom window!